Bradford City boss Derek Adams has revealed his reasons for dropping goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell and handing Sam Hornby his first league start since he came to the club in the summer.

Hornby, who made his first league appearance since May, kept a clean sheet in the Bantams' goalless draw against Colchester at Valley Parade on Tuesday, while O'Donnell watched the game from the bench.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post about his decision to change keepers, Adams said: "I made the change because I'd given Richard the number one shirt and he has been in the goal for the majority of the season and I felt that I was a number two keeper, then would I feel I was due an opportunity?

"I think Richard would think along those lines as well if he was a number two and would have be due an opportunity and that's why I gave Sam an opportunity and he made two good saves in the second half to help us."

The result against the U's was Bradford fifth draws in six league games, as they remain mid-table in 13th, six points adrift from the play-offs.

The home side were without key players in the attacking third, including top scorer Andy Cook and Charles Vernam and Adams felt his side weren't clinical enough in front of goal, despite him feeling the opposition didn't offer much going forward.

"We played very well in the first half," he added. "I think we dominated large spells in the game and Colchester didn't really lay a glove on us and we created some really good openings and they had to make a change as we were so dominant in that period of the game.

"We have got to obviously score goals in that spell because you know as the game goes on, the opposition always gets some time. But they did not really have a lot of chances, just two chances of our doing. "It is the way the season has gone. Unfortunately for us, we have not been clinical enough to finish off the chances and we don't get a break at times." The Verdict I can see Adams' thinking behind this decision to make a change in between the sticks. At first glance you would think it's a strange move. To bring in a keeper who hasn't played a league game for months over an established first team player is certainly a risk. But following yesterday's result, as frustrating as the draw may be, the decision did pay off with Hornby making two good saves and kept a clean sheet. After a display like that, no doubt Hornby will be looking for a longer run of the games in the side. From O'Donnell's perspective, it would be understandable if he was annoyed by suddenly being dropped out of nowhere. We'll wait and see what the gaffer decides to do next.